Improvement in sleeping-cars



J. WOODRUFF.

-Sleeping Car.

` Patented Juiy 12, 1870.

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rrED STATES PA'afENr GFFIGE.

JONAH WOODRUFF, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN SLEEPING-CARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 105,288, dated Julyr 12, 1870.

a specification:

Nature and Objects of the Invent/ion.

My invention relates to the construction of the supporting-platforms for berths along thesides of the car, and to their disposal when not required to be used for such purpose, and

also to the disposal of the bedding under the same circumstances, in such a manner as to do away with the unsightly appearances and obstructions consequent upon the mode of disposing of the said parts by suspending` them overhead, as required in the sleeping-cars now in use on the main lines of railroads, and to do away with all other objectionable indications of the presence of such things when the car is not required to be arranged or adjusted for sleeping, and-at the same time to give to the whole interior of the car as much room, andas neat and tidy an appearance, as can be given to those passenger-cars which are not provided with sleepin g-berths.

Description of thc Accompanying Drawings.

Figure lis a perspective view of the interior of a car, showing portions of the side and loor of the `same, and embodying parts of my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of Fig. with the addition of another portion of my invention. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a part of the interior of the car, showing the platforms, seats, and backs arranged for the reception of the bedding, &c. Fig. 4is a perspective view of the interior of the car as arranged or adjusted when not required for sleepin 0. Fig. 5 is a transverse section of Fig. 4, but showing only a part of the back and seat. Fig. 6 is an end view of a back and seat in the elevated position in which they will rest upon the supporting-frame of the same when in use. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the standards for supporting the upper platform, as applied in Fig. 3. Fig. Sis a plan view of one of the platforms for supporting the bedding. Fig. 9 is a section of one-half of the said platform as when upholstered to form the closing planel for any one of the recesses in the sides of the car.

General Description.

In the sides of the car, along beneath the windows w w, I make recesses A, each in length corresponding with the distance between the back frames of two facing seats, or with the length of the platforms B, which are to support the upper and lower berths of that division of the seats, and of sufhcient depth to receive two of the said platforms, constructed and applied therein as will now be de'- scribed.

The platforms B are of the skeleton or open form, and each 'consists of two like wooden frames, b b', provided with longitudinally-arranged wooden slats 2 2, and-hinged togetherV so as to fold in -halfwidths. (See Fig. S.) Two of these folding plat-forms are intended to be placed in each of the recesses Ain the sides of the car, one for the lower berth, and the other for the berth directly above it. One half of the folding platform B, intended for the lower berth, is upholstered, as represented in Fig. 9, or otherwise covered and ornamented on one side, and this one is to -be placed last in its respective recess A, and with itsv upholstered or covered ornamental side outward, thus filling out the recess A, and showing as an upholstered or ornamented panel thereat between the two fronting seats of the division when the car is not required for sleeping purposes, as represented in Fig. 4.

Each of theeplatforms B of the upper berths is supported by the iron frame G, the vertical part of which slides up and down in the end frame of the seat on one side of the partition D, which supports the backs of two abutting seats, its horizontal part c hooking into its appropriate staple or socketY c, iixed to the side of the car at a proper height for the upper berth, (see Fig. 8,) and so that when the upper platform is removed it can be slipped down out of sight, and rest with its horizontal part c' upon the upper edge of the partition D, between the two backs of the abutting seats, (see Fig. 4,) or be drawn out and disposed of upon the bedding in recess G. The upholstered or cushioned seat E and back -E are hinged together, and the seat to the panel e", which is hinged. tothe floor, all in such a manner that when the platforms B are to be applied they can be readily folded down upon the oor between the two facing seat-frames, as represented in Fig. 3, or, after the platform has been removed for the purpose, be raised up into the position shown in Figs. 4 and 6, one end of the seat resting on a suitable bracket, F, (see Fig. 2,) the other end on a ledge support on the inner side of the end frame c", and the panel c closing the front opening under the said seat and back, as shown in Fig. 4. Directly under each two abutting seat-frames I make a correspondingly-sized recess, G, in the floor of the car (see Figs. 1 and 2) for the reception of the appropriate bedding g', 85e. (See Fig. 3.)

. The lower openings in the end frames e" are intended to be closed by panels, as in Fig. 4, or otherwise, so that the said bedding, curtains, Snc., cannot be seen after they are thus closed up in the said recess G.

1t will now be understood,V without further description, that the upholstered seats and backs of any two facing each other can be instantly folded down into the positions shown in Fig. 3, the two platforms B B and the bedding g g taken out of their respective recesses A G, the sliding frames C G raised up or slipped into position in the' frame 6', and hooked fast into the staples c, and the two platforms B B placed, the one upon the said frames, and the other upon the former supports ofthe cushioned seats E E, as shown in Fig. 3, and the bedding then placed thereon, thus in a few moments providing ample and comfortable sleeping-berths for the four occupants of the two seats in the same division of the car; and, if desired, curtains may be readily suspended around the berths.

It will also be understood that with equal or even greater facility, the curtains, bedding, and platforms can be folded and replaced in their respective recesses, and the cushioned seats and backs E E raised up into their origisand pounds less than what is required for each of the sleeping-cars now in use., and, besides, this reduction is mainly from the upper part of the car.

Claims.

I claim as my inventionl. A skeleton platform, B, when the same is hinged along its middle, so as to fold in halfwidths, as described, and one of its exterior sides covered so as to present an upholstered or finished panel when inserted in its appropriate recess A, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth= 2. The detachable vertically-sliding` frames C C, in combination with the respective end frames 6 of the seats, and with the respectq ive sockets or staples c" in the sides of the car between the windows, as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

3. The combination of the upholstered or cushioned backs and seats E E and the panel e with the floor of the car, when the said parts are hinged or articulated together, so that they can be readily folded together andopened, as occasion may require, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

4. The recesses G G, when constructed and arranged respectively in those portions ofthe floor or bottom of the car which are directly beneath each pair of abutting seats, as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and set forth.

J ON AH WOODRUFF. Witnesses:

BENJ. MoRIsoN, WM. H. MoRIsoN. 

